Firefighters use robot to help tackle fire at former Supaskips site in Lancaster

Fire crews are continuing to extinguish the fire over a week since the blaze happened in the large former power station which contains over 13,000 tonnes of compacted waste.

The demolition of the outbuildings and the removal of waste from the outer perimeter has been taking place over the weekend.

Pockets of fire have been continuing to smoulder deep within large piles of commercial waste.

The smoke plume has been fluctuating in terms of the volume, colour and smell and this will persist for a protracted period.

The air quality is consistently being measured by Lancaster City Council.

They were first called to the fire at 5.30am on Sunday December 3 and they said it will take "a significant amount of time and resources to extinguish".

"As the demolition takes place, firefighters have been able to get greater access to the site and this has increased the amount of water that is being put on to the fire," said a spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue.

"However, this additional water can cause the smoke plume to fluctuate in volume, colour, and smell. The safest place to be is indoors where you will be protected from the worst of the smoke if you keep the doors and windows closed. If you need to be outdoors, you are advised to avoid outside areas affected by any smoke or ash, or to limit the time that you spend in them.

"If you are experiencing health effects that you think may be related to the incident, seek medical advice by calling NHS 111 or by contacting your General Practitioner (GP).

"Lancaster City Council, the Environment Agency, Lancashire Police, the UK Health Security Agency and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service are working together to reduce the risks posed by the site.

"We would like to thank all businesses and residents for their patience and support."

Last week, Lancashire Fire and Rescue said the main building at the site is "structurally unsafe posing a risk to emergency response teams".

They said they were "working closely with the EA (Environment Agency) to minimise any potential environmental consequences stemming from the water run-off".

Europa Way remains closed and access to the industrial park is still limited.

On Thursday, Lancaster City Council announced they would foot the bill for the up to £262,000 cost of demolishing outbuildings on the site, to "improve access for firefighters tackling the blaze".

A major incident was declared earlier this year following other fires at the former skip hire site and power station, and a multi-agency task force including the Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council, Lancaster City Council, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Lancashire Police, was set up.

Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster, was among those calling for urgent action to clear the site due to concerns over the state of the building, premises and waste, and has been asking for help from the Government.

A1 Supa Skips Ltd went into administration in April 2022 and in November 2022, the Environment Agency announced they had removed their site permit.

*Last Wednesday, a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson at the site, and bailed.